Letter: Shiawassee Refuge drive, visitors center are tri-county gems

In the light of so many negative letters and on line comments about Saginaw County and Saginaw, I had to write a letter of high praise. The Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge, and especially its newly opened wildlife drive, are a superb and wonderful resource for our area. Not only are the drive and refuge beautiful, and the birds and other wildlife abundant, but the staff at the visitors center are exceedingly knowledgeable, helpful, courteous and willing to help or answer questions. They have made me and my birding colleague feel so welcome and free to ask questions that I cannot praise them highly enough! A truly valuable resource, truly congenial and helpful staff, and a place everyone should visit to see bountiful birds of many species and other wildlife. In my opinion this is a gem of the tri-county area.

Along with the Bay City State Recreation Area and Chippewa Nature Center in Midland, these three nature reserves make the tri-county area a joy! The staff at all of them are to be commended for their willingness to answer questions and help educate us amateurs. I treasure them all.